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Rebecca Ann Lawrence

Rebecca Ann Lawrence

Research Assistant

Off Site Office

Education

BA in brain & cognitive sciences, public health, University of Rochester

Overview

Rebecca Lawrence is a research assistant at the RAND Corporation. She holds B.A.s in public health and brain and cognitive sciences as well as minors in psychology and dance from the University of Rochester. Her previous professional experiences include a community health internship at a health insurance agency and participation in research projects related to cognitive development and community health. Lawrence's current research focuses on mental health, public health, strategic evaluation, education policy, and social-emotional learning.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Healthy and Equitable Futures: Improving the Health and Well-being of Children
Research to Supplement AIRS Teacher Survey Findings and Improve AEP Dissemination
The Impact of Tele-lactation Services on Breastfeeding Outcomes among Minority Mothers
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health - COVID-19 Community Response Project
Individual and Community-Level Financial Distress and Suicide

Honors & Awards

RAND Spotlight Award

Publications

Report
Walking on Eggshells—Teachers' Responses to Classroom Limitations on Race- or Gender-Related Topics: Findings from the 2022 American Instructional Resources Survey
In this report, drawing on the spring 2022 American Instructional Resources Survey, the authors examine teachers' awareness of and responses to limitations on how they can address race- or gender-related topics in their instruction.
Jan 25, 2023
Report
Prioritizing Strategies to Racially Diversify the K–12 Teacher Workforce: Findings from the State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal Surveys
The authors of this report surveyed and interviewed teachers and convened a panel of education policymakers to identify policies and strategies that could help racially diversify the teacher workforce in the United States.
Sep 20, 2022
Report
Walking a Fine Line—Educators' Views on Politicized Topics in Schooling: Findings from the State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal Surveys
Using nationally representative survey data, the authors analyze educators' views on two politicized issues—COVID-19 mitigation policies and teaching about race, racism, or bias—to better understand the consequences of politicization in schools.
Aug 10, 2022
Journal Article
Pods in Action: Hyde Park Neighborhood Club
This case study describes Hyde Park Neighborhood Club, a pandemic-era learning pod in Chicago, IL. This case study is part of an effort by the Center for Reinventing Public Education to capture lessons learned from pandemic-era schooling.
Jul 1, 2022
Report
Restoring Teacher and Principal Well-Being Is an Essential Step for Rebuilding Schools: Findings from the State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal Surveys
Researchers present selected findings on teacher and principal well-being, working conditions, and intentions to leave their jobs from the 2022 State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal surveys.
Jun 15, 2022
Journal Article
Impact of Telelactation Services on Breastfeeding Outcomes Among Black and Latinx Parents: Protocol for the Tele-MILC Randomized Controlled Trial
We present a protocol for the digital Tele-MILC trial, which uses mixed methods to evaluate the impact of telelactation services on breastfeeding outcomes.
Mar 4, 2022
Report
A Snapshot of Anti-Bias Education in U.S. K–12 Schools: Findings from the 2021 American Instructional Resources Surveys
RAND researchers leverage nationally representative survey data of kindergarten through 12th grade (K–12) public school teachers to examine whether teachers report providing anti-bias education and what anti-bias education looks like in K–12 schools.
Feb 22, 2022
Report
Evaluation of Delaware's Opportunity Funding and Student Success Block Grant Programs: Second Year
This is the second of three annual reports evaluating the implementation and effects of two Delaware funding programs for disadvantaged K–12 schools in the 2019–2020 to 2021–2022 school years: Opportunity Funding and the Student Success Block Grant.
Jan 27, 2022
Report
Support for National Security Families
In this report, RAND researchers review the set of support programs and services available to nonmilitary national security families, comparing it with the robust portfolio of resources provided to military families by the Department of Defense.
Jan 21, 2022
Journal Article
COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Attitudes Among Pregnant and Postpartum Parents
This study aimed to investigate COVID-19 vaccine uptake and reasons for delay or refusal among perinatal parents.
2022
Report
Expanding Charter School Capacity: The Case of Propel Montour
Researchers examine the expansion of Propel Schools, a small, regional charter school network in southwestern Pennsylvania, to describe the academic and behavioral experiences of continuing and expansion students from fall 2017 to spring 2020.
Sep 29, 2021
Report
School Leaders' Role in Selecting and Supporting Teachers' Use of Instructional Materials: An Interview Study
The authors examine what school leaders regard as the key dimensions of quality instructional materials and describe the role that school leaders play in guiding the selection and use of instructional materials.
Jul 19, 2021
Research Brief
Supporting Principals to Lead on the Selection and Use of Instructional Materials in Classrooms
This brief discusses findings from several RAND reports on principals' roles with respect to instructional materials. Recommendations describe how stakeholders can prepare and support principals to lead in selecting and using instructional materials.
Jul 19, 2021
Journal Article
COVID-19 Community Response: Emerging Themes Across Sentinel Communities
Since the onset of COVID-19, RAND researchers contributed to four reports on the impact and response in nine communities (Finney Co., Harris Co., Milwaukee, Mobile, San Juan Co., Sanilac Co., Tacoma, Tampa, and White Plains) and four cross-community reports.
Jul 14, 2021
Report
Detecting Conspiracy Theories on Social Media: Improving Machine Learning to Detect and Understand Online Conspiracy Theories
Using linguistic and rhetorical theory, researchers developed an improved model of machine-learning technology to detect conspiracy theory language. This report describes the results and suggests ways to counter effects of online conspiracy theories.
Apr 29, 2021
Report
Do Teachers Perceive That Their Main Instructional Materials Meet English Learners' Needs? Key Findings from the 2020 American Instructional Resources Survey
In this Data Note, researchers draw on data from the spring 2020 American Instructional Resources Survey to examine teachers' perceptions of how their main materials meet the needs of English learners.
Jan 27, 2021
Report
Teachers' Perceptions of What Makes Instructional Materials Engaging, Appropriately Challenging, and Usable: A Survey and Interview Study
In this report, the authors examine how middle and high school English language arts and mathematics teachers use and perceive their instructional materials in terms of how engaging, challenging, and usable they are.
Jan 14, 2021
Report
American Instructional Resources Surveys: 2020 Technical Documentation and Survey Results
This technical report provides information about the sample, survey instrument, and resultant data for the American Instructional Resources Surveys administered to principals and teachers in spring 2020 via RAND's American Educator Panels.
Sep 24, 2020
Report
How Instructional Materials Are Used and Supported in U.S. K–12 Classrooms: Findings from the 2019 American Instructional Resources Survey
New results from the RAND American Instructional Resources Survey, which was fielded to a national sample of public teachers and school leaders in spring 2019, shed light on how teachers use instructional materials in their classroom.
Aug 31, 2020
Report
Teachers' Use of Intervention Programs: Who Uses Them and How Context Matters
In this Data Note, researchers explore the prevalence of teachers' use of intervention programs, which are designed to help students performing below grade level. Researchers also explore how teachers' use of such programs may vary by school context.
Mar 19, 2020
Report
American Instructional Resources Survey: 2019 Technical Documentation and Survey Results
This technical report provides information about the sample, survey instrument, and resultant data for the American Instructional Resources Surveys administered to principals and teachers in spring 2019 via RAND's American Educator Panels.
Feb 27, 2020